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The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1989-07-26

The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1989-07-26 page 1

9m Swimmers drown Westlake to go to 2-1 Page 8 Serving the Sandstone Capital of the World since 1874 Wednesday, July 26, 1989 988-2801 25c Council approves bidding for Utilities Complex o O -V by Bill Scrivo The new Amherst Utilities complex moved another step towards construction Monday night when the finance committee and City Council held swift special meetings to approve advertising and awarding bids. Mayor John Jaworski interrupted council's month-long vacation in hopes of getting the 15,380 square foot building at the waste water treatment plant site started before winter. "We could be in the new building by the first of May," he said. Estimated cost of the building is $350,000-$400,000, with the money to come from the remainder of funds in the electric system improvement bond issue. The work will be done by Solid Fuel Technologies Inc. (SFT) . The building will house all utilities department vehicles and provide utilities offices. Jaworksi explained that space for the sewer and water departments would be leased from the electric department. The old utilities department building on Park Avenue will still be used for customers to pay utilities bills, Jaworski said. In response to a question by resident Dave Taylor, Jaworski said the old utilities department building on Maple Street may be torn down. "Contractors have told us that it would be cheaper to tear it down than start from scratch, ' ' Jaworski said. The mayor again voiced the possibility that the city would get the Park Avenue post office building when a new one is built on SR 58. Jaworski said it has possible use as a utilities office or a police station. He added that the matter will be studied if the building becomes available. Taylor also asked if the new utilities complex would provide adequate space for future needs and the mayor answered in the affirmative. "It will take care of all the equipment we now have and two extra (vehicles)," Jaworski said. "It can also be expanded." Council Member Joyce Mackin was worried about the pitch of the roof and she was assured by Lloyd J. Hill Jr., P.E. , of SFT that it was designed by an engineer and would not leak. Council was concerned that the building's appearance would be attractive, since it will be visible from SR 2. William F. Bratz, P.E., also of SFT, said that the building would reflect favorably on the city. Color of the brick used in construction was questioned and council was told it would have a voice in the final decision in that regard. When the mayor requested construction of the Utilities Complex late in June, he told council that the money was available for the project "because we realized substantial savings (on the electric system improvement) since our employees did part of the project." Auditor Marilyn Jacobcik explained at that time that the the remaining funds, $235,124 in bonds and $553,527 from the city's share of tlx electric system improvement, must be spent by April 1, 1990, or "we will be penalized." The ordinance was recommended to council by the finance committee for emergency passage and council passed it in that manner. All council members attended the meeting. One other ordinance, advertising for bids on repaving a portion of Tenney Avenue with Community .Block Grant funds, sailed through both the committee and council on an emergency basis. In response to a question from Council Member Mackin, Mayor Jaworski said that Issue 1 funds have not yet come through from the state, although they were promised by the state earlier this month. The city wants to use the money for interior street paving and Jaworski said he is "optimistic" that they will be able to do so. Amherst Library in new plan hi x pur J. : . . by Kathleen Koshar A report outlining a five-year plan for Lorain County's public libraries has been completed with the aid of a South Carolina consulting firm. The report is the result of a November directive by the State Library Board ordering the libraries of Lorain County to work together in producing a long-range plan for the next five years. The directive came on the heels of a request made last year by the Amherst, Oberlin, Wellington and Elyria public libraries to redefine service boundaries. Directors of six of the county libraries feel their legal boundaries should be changed to reflect their actual service areas. The report reflects the work of directors and trustees from those six libraries Amherst, Oberlin, Avon Lake, Elyria, Grafton and Herrick Memorial Library in Wellington. Missions and goals outlined in the report include the Lorain Public Library, which chose to develop its own long-range plan. The report examines two points of Library's missions and roles, Page 3. See an editorial, Page 4. view on how to provide quality library service either as one single public library system with a countywide focus or as seven independent libraries with established service areas working together to serve the county. The report was compiled under the instruction of Consulting Librarians Group of Charleston. Wolf said each of the six libraries participating in the report paid a percentage of the $10,500 fee. The report outlines a mission designed for all seven libraries over the next five years. It states, "The public libraries of Lorain County work together to develop a stable, uniformly high level of service to all county residents while insuring that independent libraries can respond quickly to local community needs. The libraries working together emphasize public relations and marketing, dissemination of local information, Hot weather haven Maude Neiding Park pool is the favorite hot weather haven of many Amherstonians these humid July days. There's nary a days goes by that the pool is not busy frm opening to close. Swim meets, attended by families and friends, have drawn big crowds this summer as our local team members give good accouns of themselves. Prior to opening this year the pool went through an extensive remodeling which was a joint venture of the city and state of Ohio. (photo by Bill Scrivo) Electric Department notice The electric department will be changing meters July 26, 27 & 28, 1 989 between the hours of 7 a.m. & 3:30 p.m. The area will be south of Rt. 2, east of N. Main, north of Cleveland Ave. and Cherry Valley west. You may experience momentary outages during these changes. door opone Tom George was at top when heart attack felled him by Bill Scrivo A heart attack at 44 knocked Tom George out of the biggest job he ever had but, as things turned out, a Fortune 500 company's loss was Amherst's gain. "If the good Lord closes one door, he opens another," is Tom's way of putting it. The Amherst accountant had been controller of London Fog on the East Coast for only a few weeks when the heart attack struck. "I didn't have a job once I had the heart attack," Tom recalled. London Fog didn't want me back because they didn't want my problems. "I beat 15 CPAs out of that job. It was the best job I ever had." The year was 1972 and after Tom recovered he came back to Amherst to work with two friends who have an accounting and tax firm, Joe Skapin and Dom delPrincipe. Two years later he started his own business on South Leavitt Road (SR58) in a building owned by his brother. A certified accountant, Tom does accounting and tax work for smll businesses, partnerships and corporations. "I am an enrolled agent," he said. "I can go into any tax court in the United States and represent a client." Sitting in his office at George Tax Service, now in its 15th year, Tom George has no regrets. He has had no recurrence of the heart problem and he has built his life in the place where he was born, among many of his close-knit family and friends. The son of a steelworker, Tom first saw the light of day on May 23, 1927. He was one of seven children, with brothers David and Salem, and sisters Rosie (Goodwin), Minnie (Shand) , Eleanor (Akers) , and Kay (Barnhart) . His mother, who will be 82 next month, is ill and lives in Las Vegas with Kay. After graduation from Amherst High School in 1945, Tom joined the service and wound up as one of the replacements for those returning home after World War II. "I was stationed in Salzburg, Austria, and I got to see Hitler's destroyed home," he said. After two years, Tom was discharged and returned to Amherst to start to build a home on Washington Avenue and attend college at John Carroll. His life was again interrupted, this time by the Korean Conflict. He served as a supply sergeant with the 2nd Division on the bloody Central Front. He rose to first sergeant before he was discharged and returned to the Sandstone City. "When I got out I started at Elyria Telephone Company in the accounting department," he said. I le .stayed there for several years and then joined another phone company in the southern part of the United States. Tom's father became ill and Tom returned again to Amherst. After his father died in 1956, Tom took a job with the American Ship Building Company in Lorain. "When George Steinbrenner took over, I left," Tom said. "His sister was supposed to be a cost analyst working for me, the cost accounting supervisor. It got so I couldn't take her anymore and I wound up with the Fortune 500 company as a division controller." He also accumulated five more years of college, at Portsmouth Interstate College and the University of Delaware, where he got his 1 jM 5 ! ( '- - i A 7 A v.i m-:-:- v.. '(':' j ... Tom George accounting certificates. The father of five children, Thomas, Linda (Henderson), Billy (King), Barbara (Cribbs), and Anita Louis (Luce) . He is married to his second wife, Margaret Louise, better known as "Maggie." "I actually started out to be a teacher," Tom said, "Then when I was at John Carroll, I took an aptitude test and when I was through the counselor asked me what I would like to do. "I said 'Go into teaching' and he said your test doesn't reflect tha-t...you should go into business or music." "I said 'You're nuts. I don't play (an instrument) and I hate math.'" "But I have had a good life in accounting," Tom continued. "I don't regret my decision." Of Syrian descent, Tom George takes a lot of kidding as one of the "Arabs" of the club. He has been a member since 1975, is currently treasurer and a past president and sergeant-at-arms. His recreation includes golfing weekly with accounting buddies Skapin, delPrincipe and Jack Rosso. He is also a member and past commander of the Amherst American Legion. Tom George is content with life, but he still has a goal he'd like to attain. "I wish I could find a way to help poor people who need help and can't afford it," he said. coordinated collection building, and staff development. The libraries are committed to seeking new ways to work together to improve county-wide library service and to support local library service." The report describes six goals with specific objectives on how those goals can be reached. Under the first goal to provide residents with access to library services, collections and programs through each local public library in cooperation with all the libraries in the county the initial objective was to have the question of service boundaries settled by June of next year. The other objectives include using the Lorain County Librarians Council to coordinate cooperative programs; continue participation in the North Central Library Cooperative; and continue individual participation in other regional cooper;' tive organizations. The second goal is for county residents to receive library services governed by informed library trus tees ana proviaea oy skilled, qualified staff. Objectives under this goal include forming a countywide trustee organization by June 19; holding an annual countywide all-staff meeting; implement staff development activities to help the individual libraries meet the Ohio public library standards for training for personnel providing reference services; developing a formal staff exchange; and by December 1993. conduct a formal staff assessment to determine staff development needs for the next planning cycle. Under the third goal for county residents to have access to library collections countywide that are planned and managed cooperatively goals included continuing reciprocal borrowing services. Other objectives include implementing a program of coordinated, cooperative collection development among all libraries; developing a database of the holdings of all the libraries; and developing a plan for countywide document delivery. The fourth goal is for all county residents to receive regular information about library services and programs. This would be implemented by a countywide public relations program, hopefully by December 1991. Other objectives include organizing a countywide celebration of National Library Week; continuing to staff a booth at the county fair; collectively supporting bond issues and levies; and forming a county-wide Friends of the Library group. The fifth goal, that library sen ice has adequate financial backing, would be obtained through developing a new funding formula for the distribution of state funds throughout the county; establishing cooperative purchasing agreements; and seeking outside funding for joint projects. The sixth goal, for residents to receive library sen-ices based on sound planning, would include compiling countywide output measures and data; participation in countywide planning and development groups; reviewing the 1990 census for planning; and updating the long-range plan every five years. The report outlines dozens of sta-(continued on page 7)

9m Swimmers drown Westlake to go to 2-1 Page 8 Serving the Sandstone Capital of the World since 1874 Wednesday, July 26, 1989 988-2801 25c Council approves bidding for Utilities Complex o O -V by Bill Scrivo The new Amherst Utilities complex moved another step towards construction Monday night when the finance committee and City Council held swift special meetings to approve advertising and awarding bids. Mayor John Jaworski interrupted council's month-long vacation in hopes of getting the 15,380 square foot building at the waste water treatment plant site started before winter. "We could be in the new building by the first of May," he said. Estimated cost of the building is $350,000-$400,000, with the money to come from the remainder of funds in the electric system improvement bond issue. The work will be done by Solid Fuel Technologies Inc. (SFT) . The building will house all utilities department vehicles and provide utilities offices. Jaworksi explained that space for the sewer and water departments would be leased from the electric department. The old utilities department building on Park Avenue will still be used for customers to pay utilities bills, Jaworski said. In response to a question by resident Dave Taylor, Jaworski said the old utilities department building on Maple Street may be torn down. "Contractors have told us that it would be cheaper to tear it down than start from scratch, ' ' Jaworski said. The mayor again voiced the possibility that the city would get the Park Avenue post office building when a new one is built on SR 58. Jaworski said it has possible use as a utilities office or a police station. He added that the matter will be studied if the building becomes available. Taylor also asked if the new utilities complex would provide adequate space for future needs and the mayor answered in the affirmative. "It will take care of all the equipment we now have and two extra (vehicles)," Jaworski said. "It can also be expanded." Council Member Joyce Mackin was worried about the pitch of the roof and she was assured by Lloyd J. Hill Jr., P.E. , of SFT that it was designed by an engineer and would not leak. Council was concerned that the building's appearance would be attractive, since it will be visible from SR 2. William F. Bratz, P.E., also of SFT, said that the building would reflect favorably on the city. Color of the brick used in construction was questioned and council was told it would have a voice in the final decision in that regard. When the mayor requested construction of the Utilities Complex late in June, he told council that the money was available for the project "because we realized substantial savings (on the electric system improvement) since our employees did part of the project." Auditor Marilyn Jacobcik explained at that time that the the remaining funds, $235,124 in bonds and $553,527 from the city's share of tlx electric system improvement, must be spent by April 1, 1990, or "we will be penalized." The ordinance was recommended to council by the finance committee for emergency passage and council passed it in that manner. All council members attended the meeting. One other ordinance, advertising for bids on repaving a portion of Tenney Avenue with Community .Block Grant funds, sailed through both the committee and council on an emergency basis. In response to a question from Council Member Mackin, Mayor Jaworski said that Issue 1 funds have not yet come through from the state, although they were promised by the state earlier this month. The city wants to use the money for interior street paving and Jaworski said he is "optimistic" that they will be able to do so. Amherst Library in new plan hi x pur J. : . . by Kathleen Koshar A report outlining a five-year plan for Lorain County's public libraries has been completed with the aid of a South Carolina consulting firm. The report is the result of a November directive by the State Library Board ordering the libraries of Lorain County to work together in producing a long-range plan for the next five years. The directive came on the heels of a request made last year by the Amherst, Oberlin, Wellington and Elyria public libraries to redefine service boundaries. Directors of six of the county libraries feel their legal boundaries should be changed to reflect their actual service areas. The report reflects the work of directors and trustees from those six libraries Amherst, Oberlin, Avon Lake, Elyria, Grafton and Herrick Memorial Library in Wellington. Missions and goals outlined in the report include the Lorain Public Library, which chose to develop its own long-range plan. The report examines two points of Library's missions and roles, Page 3. See an editorial, Page 4. view on how to provide quality library service either as one single public library system with a countywide focus or as seven independent libraries with established service areas working together to serve the county. The report was compiled under the instruction of Consulting Librarians Group of Charleston. Wolf said each of the six libraries participating in the report paid a percentage of the $10,500 fee. The report outlines a mission designed for all seven libraries over the next five years. It states, "The public libraries of Lorain County work together to develop a stable, uniformly high level of service to all county residents while insuring that independent libraries can respond quickly to local community needs. The libraries working together emphasize public relations and marketing, dissemination of local information, Hot weather haven Maude Neiding Park pool is the favorite hot weather haven of many Amherstonians these humid July days. There's nary a days goes by that the pool is not busy frm opening to close. Swim meets, attended by families and friends, have drawn big crowds this summer as our local team members give good accouns of themselves. Prior to opening this year the pool went through an extensive remodeling which was a joint venture of the city and state of Ohio. (photo by Bill Scrivo) Electric Department notice The electric department will be changing meters July 26, 27 & 28, 1 989 between the hours of 7 a.m. & 3:30 p.m. The area will be south of Rt. 2, east of N. Main, north of Cleveland Ave. and Cherry Valley west. You may experience momentary outages during these changes. door opone Tom George was at top when heart attack felled him by Bill Scrivo A heart attack at 44 knocked Tom George out of the biggest job he ever had but, as things turned out, a Fortune 500 company's loss was Amherst's gain. "If the good Lord closes one door, he opens another," is Tom's way of putting it. The Amherst accountant had been controller of London Fog on the East Coast for only a few weeks when the heart attack struck. "I didn't have a job once I had the heart attack," Tom recalled. London Fog didn't want me back because they didn't want my problems. "I beat 15 CPAs out of that job. It was the best job I ever had." The year was 1972 and after Tom recovered he came back to Amherst to work with two friends who have an accounting and tax firm, Joe Skapin and Dom delPrincipe. Two years later he started his own business on South Leavitt Road (SR58) in a building owned by his brother. A certified accountant, Tom does accounting and tax work for smll businesses, partnerships and corporations. "I am an enrolled agent," he said. "I can go into any tax court in the United States and represent a client." Sitting in his office at George Tax Service, now in its 15th year, Tom George has no regrets. He has had no recurrence of the heart problem and he has built his life in the place where he was born, among many of his close-knit family and friends. The son of a steelworker, Tom first saw the light of day on May 23, 1927. He was one of seven children, with brothers David and Salem, and sisters Rosie (Goodwin), Minnie (Shand) , Eleanor (Akers) , and Kay (Barnhart) . His mother, who will be 82 next month, is ill and lives in Las Vegas with Kay. After graduation from Amherst High School in 1945, Tom joined the service and wound up as one of the replacements for those returning home after World War II. "I was stationed in Salzburg, Austria, and I got to see Hitler's destroyed home," he said. After two years, Tom was discharged and returned to Amherst to start to build a home on Washington Avenue and attend college at John Carroll. His life was again interrupted, this time by the Korean Conflict. He served as a supply sergeant with the 2nd Division on the bloody Central Front. He rose to first sergeant before he was discharged and returned to the Sandstone City. "When I got out I started at Elyria Telephone Company in the accounting department," he said. I le .stayed there for several years and then joined another phone company in the southern part of the United States. Tom's father became ill and Tom returned again to Amherst. After his father died in 1956, Tom took a job with the American Ship Building Company in Lorain. "When George Steinbrenner took over, I left," Tom said. "His sister was supposed to be a cost analyst working for me, the cost accounting supervisor. It got so I couldn't take her anymore and I wound up with the Fortune 500 company as a division controller." He also accumulated five more years of college, at Portsmouth Interstate College and the University of Delaware, where he got his 1 jM 5 ! ( '- - i A 7 A v.i m-:-:- v.. '(':' j ... Tom George accounting certificates. The father of five children, Thomas, Linda (Henderson), Billy (King), Barbara (Cribbs), and Anita Louis (Luce) . He is married to his second wife, Margaret Louise, better known as "Maggie." "I actually started out to be a teacher," Tom said, "Then when I was at John Carroll, I took an aptitude test and when I was through the counselor asked me what I would like to do. "I said 'Go into teaching' and he said your test doesn't reflect tha-t...you should go into business or music." "I said 'You're nuts. I don't play (an instrument) and I hate math.'" "But I have had a good life in accounting," Tom continued. "I don't regret my decision." Of Syrian descent, Tom George takes a lot of kidding as one of the "Arabs" of the club. He has been a member since 1975, is currently treasurer and a past president and sergeant-at-arms. His recreation includes golfing weekly with accounting buddies Skapin, delPrincipe and Jack Rosso. He is also a member and past commander of the Amherst American Legion. Tom George is content with life, but he still has a goal he'd like to attain. "I wish I could find a way to help poor people who need help and can't afford it," he said. coordinated collection building, and staff development. The libraries are committed to seeking new ways to work together to improve county-wide library service and to support local library service." The report describes six goals with specific objectives on how those goals can be reached. Under the first goal to provide residents with access to library services, collections and programs through each local public library in cooperation with all the libraries in the county the initial objective was to have the question of service boundaries settled by June of next year. The other objectives include using the Lorain County Librarians Council to coordinate cooperative programs; continue participation in the North Central Library Cooperative; and continue individual participation in other regional cooper;' tive organizations. The second goal is for county residents to receive library services governed by informed library trus tees ana proviaea oy skilled, qualified staff. Objectives under this goal include forming a countywide trustee organization by June 19; holding an annual countywide all-staff meeting; implement staff development activities to help the individual libraries meet the Ohio public library standards for training for personnel providing reference services; developing a formal staff exchange; and by December 1993. conduct a formal staff assessment to determine staff development needs for the next planning cycle. Under the third goal for county residents to have access to library collections countywide that are planned and managed cooperatively goals included continuing reciprocal borrowing services. Other objectives include implementing a program of coordinated, cooperative collection development among all libraries; developing a database of the holdings of all the libraries; and developing a plan for countywide document delivery. The fourth goal is for all county residents to receive regular information about library services and programs. This would be implemented by a countywide public relations program, hopefully by December 1991. Other objectives include organizing a countywide celebration of National Library Week; continuing to staff a booth at the county fair; collectively supporting bond issues and levies; and forming a county-wide Friends of the Library group. The fifth goal, that library sen ice has adequate financial backing, would be obtained through developing a new funding formula for the distribution of state funds throughout the county; establishing cooperative purchasing agreements; and seeking outside funding for joint projects. The sixth goal, for residents to receive library sen-ices based on sound planning, would include compiling countywide output measures and data; participation in countywide planning and development groups; reviewing the 1990 census for planning; and updating the long-range plan every five years. The report outlines dozens of sta-(continued on page 7)